Method of and means for joining conduits



June 9, 1931. 3, Q R O 1,809,313

' METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR JOINING CONDUITS Filed May 12, 1926 Patemdluneimll-} 1 j 1,309,313

. ouiT h sta es .BEnTwELL onoor or BERLIN; nnw nemrsnmnjhssionon To nown C MP NY; OF BERLIN, NEW HAMrsHInE, VIA CORPORATION or MAINE METHOD or AND MEANS ron'iomme connunrs, 7

Application filed May 12, 1926. Serial he; 108,672.

This invention has relation to'a method of which suitable clamps may be engaged for and means forjolning sections of conduit drawing together the conduits placed endto end toend, and more particularly. tubular end" Upon being drawnvto'gether, the sur-' fibrous conduit impregnated with a thermoface thermoplastic material at their ends plastic waterproofing material, such as pitch. unites and securely bonds together the ends Fibrous conduit sections o'rtubesmay be of the conduits, resulting in atight, non-ileakmade by winding a Web of cellulose pulp ing joint. p (either kraft, ground "wood, sulphite, or The invention may bestbeunderstoodfrom mixed pulp), formed on a Fourdrinierlwi're :the following more complete description 10 or other web-forming mechanism, on a manthereof when considered in conjunctionwith drel until a conduit having a wall offth'e de- 'the accompanying appurtenant drawings", sired thickness has been produced, whereupon awh'ereinx'. 1 v the conduit is removedfrom the mandrel and Figure 1 represents a j oint made in accord} is dried to the desired degree. A conduit thus ance'with the present 1I1V61'1l3l011,'011 the line I i 7 made is composed of a plurality. of layers 11.1 ofFigure or convolution'sof'interfelted'fihers, all suf- J iiciently matted or interfeltedf together toY2-20f Figure 1. g

constitute a substantially homogeneous wall. Figure?) shows a-front View of the joint. The dry conduit is then treated with pitch 'Figure 4 illustrates infidetailed perspective 0 or like thermoplastic wa-terpro ofingmatea clamping member.

r-ial. By such treatmenutheconduit is rend-- On the accompanyingidrawings, repreered' water-resistant" and it becomes sufsent-snthe end portion ofa tubular conduit 'ficiently-strong and rigid to withstand subbuilt up of convolutions of interfelted' fibers "stantial pressure and to be machined. I sufficiently matted'together to constitute a In laying a conduit system as for enclosing substantially homogeneous wall. .A fibrous electric cables or for conducting flui ds,"the .scollar 2', formed by cutting a section fromfa conduits arejoined end to end.: "It is the object tubular conduit of the properlarger size, is

of the present invention to provide a method 'fit'te'dxat theendof the conduit l, so that th"\ and means for efficiently joining such con-"'corresponding endsa'of collar and conduit are- Figure2 represents ailine on the section 1' duits, so that not only will they bel'seourely rflush',whereupon the collar is fastenedi'in? joined, but they will be able to withstand subplace, thus forming an end flangeonthe constantial pressure without leakage. at the duit section. The fastening means employed Joints; i. A I

In accordance with the present invention, commonly employed in 'peggingshoes, and

are preferably wooden pegs 3, similar to those a relatively short section or collar, cut from maybe'arranged in'spaced rows rabout the r a conduit of the proper larger diameter to collar and'condult. By thismeansthecollan produce a close fit, ise'Xterna-lly secured to is securely fastened to the conduit and is not w the endyportio-n of each conduit to be joined liable to be'loosenedtherefrom, even when a prior to impregnation with waterproofing considerable shearing force isapplied 'there 40 material. The conduit, together. with the -to. ..-To'facilitate .pegging, apertures maybe i collar: secured thereto, is. then treated 'vwith (initially made inthe collarand conduit, and "waterproofing material in "the customary the pegsv may then be inserted into the apermanner., The endsof conduits are thus eX- 'tures anddriven intotheunperforated mateternally reinforced byfthe collars,whichafrial. Or, if desired, a shoe-pegging machine,

ford} circumferential 1 houlders against which .both forms the hole and drives the peg a p plane.

- members at the end of the other into the material, may be used. The conduit together with the collar pegged or otherwise fixed thereto is then treated with thermoplastic waterproofing material, e. g., pitch, in a manner to effect the impregnation and coating of both conduit and collar with such ma- .terial. Such treatment also eflectsan intimate bonding between collar and conduit, so

as to constitute in elfect an integral structure.

Conduits thus provided with collars and treated with waterproofing material are placed end to end, as shown in Figure 2. Clamping members mare then positioned about the circumferential shoulders, 4c afforded by the collars. Each member 922, as shown, comprises a base Z) and'an arcuate flange 5, preferably tapered, protruding therefrom. The base is provided at its ends wvith ears 7 and 8 havin holesS 8" throu h which fastening bolts may be passed. The bearing surface s of the ear 7 is on a plane sufficiently offset relative to the corresponding surface s of the ear 8 so that in assembling the clamp members as shown in Figure 3, the end e of the flange of one member will become alined with the end 6 of the flange of an adja cent member to form a continuous ring, with the apertures "8, 8" of adjacent members registering with one another and the surfaces 7 of the bases lying in the same In the construction shown, four clamping members are used, but it is obvious that two, three, or any other suitable 'iumber may be used.

The clamping members are applied to the end portions of the, conduits so that the flanges 5 and the surfaces f engage about the circumferential shoulders 4. Tightening bolts9 are then passed through the apertures 8, 8 from adjacent clamping members-positionedat the end ofone conduit to the corresponding apertures of adjacent clamping conduit, and the bolts aretightconduits are thus the nuts 10 at the ends of ened. The ends of the forced into intimate contact with :one another,

thewaterproofing material at the:juncture of both ends bonding together and resulting in a securejoint, which is fluid-tight under substantial pressure. If desired, although not necessary, sheet packing maybe inserted between the ends of the conduits prior to their unlon. I

By tighteningthebolts, also, the surface waterproofing material at the sidesofgthe shoulders 4;flows up and under the tapered tight fit t'h'ereat, Al-

employed, by having a tape-red construction as shown, a wider. avenue of escape is provided for the flowing thermoplastic material under pressure, thus tendin to inhibit breaking of the shoulders. Under certain conditions, ifthe clamps do not fit well at the shoulders 4, heat may be applied to the waterthe conduit sections other, thereby clamps together, such drawing then resulting in a flowing of the waterproofing material to the slack-fitting region from the tightfitting portions, and the production of a perfect fit. Similarly, if desired, heat may be applied to the material at the juncture j, so that a material fusion ofthe thermoplastic may be produced, thus causing an intimate bonding of the conduit ends.

The clamp members m may be made of cast iron, though any other suitable material, such as wood, or pulp moulded to form and impregnated with a suitable rigidifying, strengthening and waterproofing material such as pitch, may be employed, if desired.

Conduits oined as hereinbefore described are not liable to leakage at the joints, and inasmuch as the permanent pressure provided by the clamps is exerted on a reinforced conduit end and over a larger area than if the conduit end were not reinforced, the pressure necessaryfor effecting atight joint does not cause breaking or weakening of the coin duits at the joint, so that the joints endure as long as the'rest of the conduit; Furthermore, there is no necessity for the use of any packing material in making the .joints.

While I have described this invention as being particularly applicable for joining fibrous conduits, it is obvious that the method and means described may be employed where conduits made of similar materials are to be joined. 7

Having thus this invention, it should be obvious that it is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departin-gfrom its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A method ofpreparing fibrous conduit for end joining, which comprises pegging a fibrous collar externally thereto substantially flush with its end, and the conduit with waterproofing material.

2. A method of joining sections of fibrous conduit end to end, which-comprises securing a fibrous collar externally to each end portion to be joined substantially flush with the end face thereof, thereby providing an external circumferential shoulder, treating with thermoplastic waterproofing material, placing said I, end faces together, and exerting permanent external pressure on the causing the thermoplastic matcrialto bond together at the juncture of the j conduits and thus effecting a tight seal at the joint;

3. A method of joining sections of fibrous external circumferential shoulder "on each described an embodiment of then impregnating shoulders toward each said end portion, saturating the conduit with thermoplastic Waterproofing material, placing a pair of'conduits in end to end engagement, fusing the thermoplastic material on the end faces of the conduits, and then exerting a permanent external pressure on the shoulders toward each other to cause the thermoplastic material at the juncture of the conduits to be permanently bonded together.

4. A moplastic pair of conduits. treated'withtherwaterproofing material and laid .end to end, each of said conduits having an external collar aflixed thereon flush with its end to afford a circumferential manent pressure on said shoulders to bond together the ends of the conduits.

5. A pair of conduits treated with thermoplastic waterproofing material and laid" s end to end, each of said conduits having an shoulder I thereabout; and means for applying perwooden pegs extending through said collar and into said corresponding end portion, said collars having end of juncture and opposite end faces formingshoulders about their respective conduit sections, a thermoplastic waterproofing com faces abutting at the line 7 7 pound continuously permeating said sections,

collars and pegs, clamping members engagng sa d shoulders, and'means for drawing said members agalnst said shoulders.

In' testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature. r j BERTWELL O. ROOT. 1

external collar aifixed thereon flush with its means for applying pressure on said shoulders toward each otherto maintain the con duits' in assembled relation- 7. A method of joining sections of'fibrous conduit end to end, which comprises placing a fibrous collar upon each end portion to be joined so that the conduit section and collar have flush end faces, securing each collar in position with fibrous pegs, saturating the conduit sections with the collars and. pegs with I A a molten thermoplastic waterproofing com pound, putting sections of conduit together with end faces of collaredrend portions 1n mutual engagement, and clamping abutting collars together whereby said end faces are held tightly together.

8. A joint of ri 7 id fibrous "conduit sections, j

comprising abutting end tions, a collar on each said sectlon,

collars having abutting end faces flush with the abutting end faces of said sections and opposite end faces forming shoulders about said sections, ring members for drawing said ring members together in clamping engagement with said shoulders,

whereby said abutting end faces are pressed against each other.

9. A joint of rigid fibrous conduit sections,

comprising abutting end portions of said sections, a fibrous collar mounted oneach said end portion flush with the end thereof,

portions of said sec' 7 wooden pegs securing each said collar 1n place, sald fitted around said sections adjacent to said shoulders, and means li o 

